TRADERS and residents in Woodford Green united on Friday (Feb 11) in protest of a takeover bid from Sainsbury’s.

They stood outside hardware store Gray Bros in The Broadway, which the supermarket giant is planning to occupy.

But their efforts look to be in vain after an application to sell alcohol from 6am to 11pm was granted last week.

A 2000 name petition was not taken into consideration because it was not submitted 24 hours before the licensing meeting.

Fears have been raised about the effect on other businesses in the area and road safety because there is only space for unloading at the front of premises.

Rajan Madlani owner of Jay Jay Store and Budgens said: “This would not be a good move for the area as it would put all the shops at risk.”

Disgruntled resident Susie Williams of Queens Avenue said: “We have all the stores we need and don’t want this area looking like every other high street.

Steven Warwick, a member of Monkhams Focus team added: “It’s nice to have investment but residents should have a much greater input on how this area will evolve.”

They were backed by Chingford and Woodford Green MP Iain Duncan Smith who highlighted potential road safety problems.

“I agree with the residents and don’t see how a Sainsbury’s would work here,” he said.

“This is not the best location for a store of this kind, it is the worst.

“The road is simply not wide enough to deal with an unloading lorry and two lanes of traffic and the situation would be chaotic.”

Owner of Gray Bros, Abbas Khan insisted an agreement had not been reached with Sainsbury’s however confirmed “options were on the table”.

He said: “There have been a lot of rumours flying around including a suggestion I had told my tenants who live above the shop to move out which is completely untrue.”